Aside from not getting a guaranteed contract, K.J. McDaniels will tell you going 32d overall in the NBA draft Thursday was better than being a late first-round selection.

That's because he wore No. 32 at Clemson. He and his Twitter followers end their tweets with "#32NATION." The 6-foot-6 swingman even has "#32NATION" T-shirts.

"God works in mysterious ways," said McDaniels, who met with reporters at a news conference Saturday along with new Sixers Dario Saric, Pierre Jackson, Jerami Grant, and Jordan McRae. "He got me at 32. So it's a blessing."

Aside from not getting a guaranteed contract, K.J. McDaniels will tell you going 32d overall in the NBA draft Thursday was better than being a late first-round selection.

That's because he wore No. 32 at Clemson. He and his Twitter followers end their tweets with "#32NATION." The 6-foot-6 swingman even has "#32NATION" T-shirts.

"God works in mysterious ways," said McDaniels, who met with reporters at a news conference Saturday along with new Sixers Dario Saric, Pierre Jackson, Jerami Grant, and Jordan McRae. "He got me at 32. So it's a blessing."More coverageVOTE: Will the Sixers keep both Noel and Embiid?POLL: Grade the Sixers' draft picksLatest Sixers videosForum: What did you think of the Sixers' draft?Will the 76ers keep both Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel?Yes. They will be a defensive wrecking crew.No. Sam Hinkie will trade one of them away.View results

The Sixers are also thankful.

They had the 21-year-old, who left college after his junior season, rated higher than a second-rounder on their board. So did some mock drafts.

McDaniels, who will wear No. 11 with the Sixers - Billy Cunningham's No. 32 is retired - was the only NCAA player to lead his team in scoring (17.1 points per game), rebounds (7.1 per game), three-point field goals (42), steals (41), and blocked shots (100).

A defensive stalwart, the Birmingham, Ala., resident led the Atlantic Coast Conference in blocked shots for the second consecutive season.